‘NOT WORKING IS TORTUROUS FOR ME’

Actor Akshaye Khanna (left), who has played lead roles in many films so far, says he has consciously decided to take up smaller but effective roles in his second innings in Bollywood. Akshaye was recently seen as a baddie in Varun Dhawanjohn Abraham starrer Dishoom and is now promoting his next film Mom that features Sridevi as a protagonist. “I decided that I wanted to start off with slightly smaller roles to get into that zone. I was sure I won’t do it by compromising on the quality of work. The role could be small, but it should have an impact in the story,” he says. Akshaye, 42, who has been working since the age of 19, was away from acting for four years. “There was a reason why I took a sabbatical. I had some personal reasons, which didn’t allow me to work. But there has never been a point in my life where I wanted to take things slow, or I don’t want to work,” says the actor, adding, “Besides acting, there is nothing I know or can do. I have been working non-stop since I was 19. Not working is torturous. That phase has gone now.” Even though he was away from films for a while but Akshaye refrains from calling the phase as his ‘comeback’. “I won’t say it’s my ‘comeback’. There were some reasons because of which I couldn’t work. Now, it doesn’t matter what adjectives people give it. I’m enjoying my work. I’m glad people enjoyed my role in Dishoom and my role in Mom is fantastic. In a way, both Nawazuddin Siddiqui (co-star) and I have extended cameos in the film,” he adds.

PHOTO: AFP